Paul Bowles’ Travel Essays – The Loss of Cultures

Posted on | May 31, 2013 | No Comments

I am transported by Paul Bowles' writing. His evocations of desert life, North African culture, and impending imperialization are excellent examples of the west's need to "improve" other cultures by enforcing their own sense of propriety and rules. From 1931 to 1963, Paul Bowles details the changes wrought by aggressive cultures on Marrekech, Tangier, and Fez. These changes are more interesting because in many ways, western culture became the desire of many young Moroccans and the culture "progressed" away from early philosophy. Bowles' descriptions of the people, customs, and authority he encounters over this 30 year span are beautifully wrought. His writing of the baptism of isolation was trance inducing in itself. I would be leaving immediately for the areas he describes but unfortunately, it was slipping away 50 years ago. I can only imagine what exists now. Shawn Nichols shawnnichols.com The Films of Paul Bowles at Paulbowles.org

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• Dealing with Death’s Vortex
• Assessing Your World View- The Sand Castle
• Enlightenment and Addiction on the Internet: Neural Receptors Ramp Up
• The Perversity of Education
• Saul Bellow’s notion, “Warehouse of Good Intentions”.
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